Job Growth Could Return To Pre-Recession Levels In Oregon

(Oregon Public Broadcasting)  A new study shows Oregon will add 258,000 jobs over the next decade. And, according to analysts, that brings the state closer to what was typical job growth prior to the Great Recession.

The Oregon Employment Department projected ten years out to see where the state's job market is going from 2012 to 2022.

Gail Krumenauer is with the Oregon Employment Department. She says job growth will be broad based and across many industries.

"We're looking at the largest number of jobs being added in professional and business services, and that's closely followed by healthcare."

Krumenauer expects all private-sector industry groups to add jobs. That's more than a quarter of a million new jobs. She says federal government is the only sector that's expected to decline.

In addition to the new jobs that are being added from businesses opening or expanding, employers will also need workers for the nearly 400,000 jobs that are expected to be vacant because of retirement and other reasons.